Heroes and Thieves
by Raya Flamebreather
Summary: Title changed from Grace Kelly. Robin vs. Slade once again. When Robin finds that Slade is back and after him, what will happen?
1. Chapter 1

**Authors Note:**

**This is my first fanfiction ever, and I wrote it in about 10 minutes, while listening to Grace Kelly by Mika (an observant reader may catch some lines and references, but this IS NOT A SONGFIC). I would love some constructive criticism, but flames are welcome too, as it is my first fic. Well, hope you like, and hope you hear from me soon!**

Robin lay his pounding head on his desk, which was covered with clippings and gadgets related to his latest and most consuming obsession: Slade.

He glanced at the blinking clock he had set on his barren bedside table. Its glowing green numbers showed the time to be 2:35 am. Robin knew that his friends had all gone to bed hours ago, and they had urged him to join them. But Robin knew he could never sleep while Slade was still out there, waiting for the right moment to strike.

All of the Titans had given up searching, but not Robin. He still poured over archives, tapes, anything he could get his hands on that could lead him to Slade.

"If only I knew what I had to be to capture him. Obviously I'm not good enough now or he would be behind bars." Robin pounded the desk with his fist.

Robin knew he could be anything, would do anything to capture Slade. He had already gone against all of his former mentor's teachings to become Red X. He had been mean, ruthless, and vicious, not to mention hurtful to all his friends. He had betrayed himself once more when Slade had captured him. He pounded the table once more, and in the process, breaking one of his smaller gadgets that had been lying on the table.

Robin chided himself, "Getting angry doesn't solve anything." And yet, Robin still felt the white hot rage flowing through his veins. His obsession with Slade had changed him so completely that he sometimes didn't even recognize himself. His thirst for vengeance had driven him to push himself to his limits. To be perfect and everything more. He had to be constantly shifting shape to please his friends, his mentor and himself. Green, blue, brown, he had been every colour of the rainbow and more.

Robin lifted his heavy head from the desk and stretched. He needed to get out of this room, away from all the expectations and identities. All the obsession and the stifling atmosphere. He jumped up and walked out the door.

**Thanks for reading, and don't forget to review! **


	2. Chapter 2

Authors Note:  
Well, way back when I first posted this, I got some reviews telling me to expand this into a story, so I think I might try it. Hope it isn't too bad. Any suggestions and ideas are welcome. So…. Here goes!

Robin ran down the stairs to the garage, his head pounding and his eye sore from lack of sleep. He grabbed his helmet from off wall, and in one fluid movement leapt onto the back of the R-cycle.

The instant he had the wind rushing past him, Robin felt better. This was the only was the only way he could find to escape his troubles. Just go so fast that they can't catch up. Every inch, every mile, his problems seemed to drop away. He had no team, dependent on him for every decision. He had no mentor, with eyes like a hawk's, watching and waiting to see him fail. No city to protect, no villains, no Slade.

Robin had already begun to let his mind wander, when he saw something flicker at the back of his eye. The hairs rose up on the back of his neck as he saw something… or someone leaping swiftly through the trees of Jump City Park beside the road.  
He turned in quickly at the nearest entrance, swiftly calculating the likelihood that he was racing head-first into a trap. It was apparent to him that the odds weren't in his favor, but he had already stopped in an enclosed clearing, and was taking off his helmet.  
When nothing immediately approached him, Robin grew slightly uneasy. There was only one villain in Jump City who would pull an attack with this kind of subtlety.

He walked slowly around the clearing, looking into the trees, his ears alert to the slightest noise. He could feel the blood pumping his veins, adrenaline racing through him. The trees were dark and foreboding in darkness of dawn. Yet, when Robin had completed five slow circuits of the clearing and found nothing, his heart slowed. '_Maybe everyone's right. Maybe I am paranoid'._ Robin thought, his eyes watching the forest as he returned to his bike.

He was reaching for his helmet when he was pushed up against a tree with a knife across his throat.  
"Wha?" Robin gasped as he felt the sharp edge of the knife digging into his bare skin.  
The person holding him against the tree was all in black, and was masked, though not how he had expected. But, as Robin's eyes traveled to the stranger's chest, where a familiar insignia marked him, his heart sank. A jagged silver 'S' gleamed in the dim light of the quickly disappearing moon.

"This is a message." Growled the stranger in a gravelly voice, "Though you may struggle against it, your fate is sealed. Slade is coming. He is coming for you. Don't bother running, and don't bother hiding. He'll find you, and it will make it that much worse when he does. And don't be surprised if he punishes you for your shoddy skills of observation. I was hiding where a three-year-old could have spotted me."

With that, he took the knife from Robin's throat, and left it quivering in the trunk of the tree beside Robin's ear.  
The second Robin felt the pressure of the knife lift from his throat, he reached for his mystery assailant, but he had already disappeared without a trace he had been in the with Robin, save for the knife that was embedded so deeply in the trunk of the tree that Robin, no matter how hard he pulled, could not get it out.  
'_Oh well'_ he thought, _'I'll show it to everyone today. There's no way that they can deny Slade's back now.'_  
With that, he grabbed his helmet and bike and started the long ride back to Titan's Tower.

-TT-

Starfire paced the living room anxiously, absentmindedly tugging on a piece of her long red hair. Her eye roamed frantically across to all of her friends (save for Robin of course). Raven hovered a few inches above the ground in front of the window, escaping from the tension that enveloped the room through meditation. Beast Boy sat on the couch, flicking through channels, without really seeing what he was watching. His current channel seemed to be showing a happy little girl in a frilly pink dress, riding a pony.

Cyborg was banging around in the kitchen, washing a few dishes, and putting away groceries. He was the only thing that was stopping Starfire from flying straight out the door to look for Robin.

"We have to trust him." He had said in a calm, rational voice.  
"But he could be injured, or worse, captured once again by that awful man Slade!" Starfire had replied, her bright green eyes filling with tears.

But Cyborg had made it clear. They were to wait until 9:30 to begin the search. Starfire's eyes flickered to the clock. 9:17. Everyone looked up when they heard the bang of the main door.

"Slade." Said Robin breathlessly, "He's back."

A/N:

And with that lovely little cliffy, I'll end this section. Please, give me some indication of if you want me to keep going! Anything is appreciated (even threats of murder sticks out tongue)!

Your storyteller,

Raya Flamebreather


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Ok, I totally don't know where I'm going with this, but… here goes!  
(By the way, Many thanks to Balance in the Dark for the reviews! They made me smile :D)

-TT-

Starfire flew with astonishing speed to Robin's side, her green eyes wide with concern. Cyborg put down the pans he was washing while Beast Boy turned off the T.V., leaving the room in silence. Finally, Raven spoke up, her normally flat voice quavering with repressed emotion.  
"Robin, are you sure he's back?" She didn't want to have to ask that question. She didn't want to have to be the one who mistrusted her leader, but after the hallucinogenic dust, and with Robin still obsessed, she couldn't be sure.  
"What do you mean?" Robin asked indignantly, running his fingers through his spiky hair. "Of course I'm sure!"  
"No man," Cyborg said quietly, "She just wants to know how you know he's back."  
"I know he's back, because one of his lackeys almost cut my throat while I was on my bike. I know he's back because the guy who almost permanently attached me to a tree told me that Slade was going to come after me!" Said Robin, his usually calm voice almost rising to a shout.  
"Dude, chill. There's no need to get angry at us. We're just trying to help." Said Beast Boy who was watching Robin strangely. As a matter of fact, all of the Titans had started to look at Robin like he had grown another head.  
"What? Do you guys not believe me?" asked Robin, "I'll prove it to you. He left a knife in the tree, and even I couldn't get it out of the trunk. I'll show it to you."  
"Lead the way, friend Robin!" cheered Starfire enthusiastically. The others followed half-heartedly.

-Clearing-

"It should be here. It has to be!" muttered Robin to himself as he searched the trees on the perimeter of the clearing.The others had fanned out and were looking closely at all the other trees, as Robin retraced the steps of the battle.  
"He pushed me this way, so I should have ended up at… this tree." He looked up, and stared. Soon, all the others had gathered around him, staring at the same tree. The tree that should have a knife stuck in it, so deep that even Robin couldn't pull it out. Yet, the bark on the tree was unbroken, there was no sign of a hole where the knife had dug in.

"Dude. There's nothing there." Said Beast Boy sadly.

With that, Robin's four teammates turned and left him staring confused up at the tree.

A/N: Ok, I know that was short, but it was a transition chapter! Bear with me, its getting good. (And remember, I have no clue what's going to happen, so let me now what you think XD)


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Ok, so I started school, and sorta had to forget about my fic for a while. But, I'm back with vengeance! So here goes…. (by the way people, feel free to remember my disclaimer)

By the time Robin had pulled his gaze away from the tree, the titans had already left. He hopped on his bike, not noticing the man with a knife in his hand jumping out of a tree in the clearing.

After a quick ride through the brisk fall air, Robin was back at the tower. He was standing outside the common room door, debating whether or not he should enter. He knew his friends would be there waiting for him. Waiting to take him to the med wing to check him out for more hallucinogenic dust or something. But Robin had known what he had felt. He had to… It was true! Wasn't it?

He took another step closer to the door, and was about to press it open, when it opened in front of him, revealing a blabbering Beast Boy.

'Dude! You're back! Well, I knew we shouldn't have, I didn't think of it at all, it was all their idea, wasn't my fault, Oh my god don't get mad, I knew we shouldn't have, well, they shouldn't have…."

"Woah BB. Slow down. What did you… or the others do?"

"Promise you won't get mad?" said Beast boy pleadingly.

"Promise." Robin replied.

"Well, come in. And remember, it wasn't me that did anything. AT ALL. Got it?'

'Got it Beast Boy. Now show me what's going on."

Beast boy opened the door into the common room gingerly, and stepped in. Robin's eyes widened as he saw the face on the screen in front of him.

The other titans were all standing in front of the com-screen talking calmly to the person on the other end. Cyborg turned, saw Robin, and said to the imposing man on the screen, "Well, it looks like he just got back."

"Hello Robin." Said the deep, low voice on the screen.

"Hey Batman." Replied Robin resignedly.

(A/N: Doesn't that sound like such a good cliff? But, since I haven't written in a while, I'll continue)

"Do you all mind if I speak to Robin on his own?" said Batman slowly, never taking his eyes off his young ward.

"No problem." Said Raven, as Cyborg ushered everyone out. She turned to walk out behind the rest, but turned and said quietly to Robin, "Don't get mad. We're only doing this because we care. Oh, and Cyborg wants to see you in the med wing when you're done here."

"Great." Sighed Robin under his breath.

"So Richard, you've been up to a lot since you left." Began Batman.

"Yeah, I have. I've been doing fine out here." Replied Robin, knowing the worst was yet to come.

"Not from what I've heard. Going undercover as a criminal, getting captured by one of the most notorious men this side of the galaxy, becoming obsessive and disregarding your team and your health, the incident with the dust, and now this? This is not fine Richard." Said Batman angrily.

Robin stood in silence, knowing how long one of Batman's lectures could go on. It was better to just ride it out, and accept the punishment when it came.

"Did you think I wouldn't notice Richard?" continued Batman, "Did you really think that I would send my son off to a completely different city by himself and not keep tabs on you? Flash saw your little Red X adventure. Don't you realize how badly that could have ended?"

Robin winced at his own ignorance and the wave of guilt that engulfed him after hearing about the Red X incident again. It was only a moment later that Robin realized what Batman had said.

"Wait. You've had people following me? Watching me? Do you have no confidence in me at all? I thought you trusted that I could do this on my own."

"Well, I didn't know that you would act this stupidly, did I? If I had, there would have been no way that I would have considered letting you out of Gotham. There's also the fact that you didn't even bother to call and tell me 'Hey, I just got kidnapped by a dangerous maniac who wants me to be his apprentice.' Don't you think that I would have come out in a second and gotten rid of this guy? From what I've heard he's been rampaging through your town unchecked."

At this last point Robin protested, "He didn't go unchecked! I almost stopped him!"

"Almost. Almost isn't enough Richard. And if you call being captured by him and barely managing to escape 'stopping him' then I don't know what I've been teaching you."

"I nearly captured him with my undercover work! If my friends hadn't interfered, I would have gotten him." Robin said, his voice rising slightly over his usual monotone.

"Undercover work? By that I assume you mean your little Red X escapade. That was reckless and stupid Richard. Your pride had been damaged, and you retaliated without thinking. Never let your personal emotions affect your work."

"Without thinking?" Robin wanted to yell, his fury overwhelming him. "Do you know how long I spent planning it?"

"Well, from speaking with your friends, it sounds like this Slade is the one thing you do think about, so much that it's affecting your sleep and eating habits. They tell me you train obsessively and that Slade is the only thing you focus on. That's not just reckless Richard, that's irresponsible. I expected more from you as a leader, but I guess you're not ready for it. You're going to come back with me to train in Gotham. The other Justice League members will take over Jump City responsibilities."

"But… Bruce…" Robin was speechless.

"No buts. I'll contact you later. In the meantime, start packing up your bags." Said Batman sternly.

"You can't make me leave! What about the team?" sputtered Robin.

"Firstly, I am your legal guardian, and as such, I have the power to make you come home. Secondly, your friends will be relayed to different area to work with other Jr. Justice Leaguers who are watched and guided by senior super heroes."

"Bruce, please!" pleaded Robin, his masked eyes filling with tears of frustration.

"I'll talk to you soon. I suggest you pack, or I will come and pack for you. Goodbye Richard."

With that, Batman disconnected the signal, and Robin sank onto the couch massaging his pounding temples.

After a minute or two, he got up, and headed to the door. After all, he had a date with the med lab.

A/N: Wow! I think that that was pretty good. Batman pwned young Richard. Feel free to review, and the next chapter will be up soon (I promise!).


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Yay! All your reviews made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside hands out cookies, and to all you who added me to your favorites, hands out extra super duper special rainbow sunshine smiley happy cookies So, to continue with the story…..

Robin was once again standing hesitantly in front of a door. The med wings door was slightly different than all the other rooms in the tower. It had a large keypad instead of just a motion sensor, and Robin could just make out the small indents in the doorframe where iron bars could attach to the other side when the tower went into red alert. But the question was, were they to keep intruders out, or the patients in?

Robin sighed, anticipating the interrogation that awaited him on the other side of the door. But it was also a sigh of anxiety. Robin couldn't bear to tell his friends that he was being forced to leave, and the team disbanded.

But, Robin couldn't stand outside doors forever. He entered the key code and stepped into the stainless steel room.

Despite what they had tried to do to make the metal room friendly, it had always given Robin the shivers. Cyborg blended almost perfectly into his surroundings with his metal exterior. He turned towards Robin, red eye shining in the dimmed light.

"Hey."

"Hey."

"Robin, come sit for a sec." said Cyborg kindly. Cyborg was like the official older brother of Titans tower, and he basically took care of everyone outside battle.

"Sure." Robin's metal plated boots clicked on the floor as he walked over to the cold hospital bed.

"So," Cyborg began, "The titans and I just wanna make sure that you're ok. I mean, after what happened…" Cyborg trailed off.

Robin's eyes were drawn to the straps that had held him so closely to the hospital bed as the Slade hallucination approached menacingly.

"So, I just want to run some tests on you. Ok?"

"Fine." Said Robin flatly. Before Slade, Robin would have never doubted that he was fine. He wouldn't have had to take any tests. The team would have already known that he was ok.

Cyborg started up the med wing computer, which took an initial scan of Robin's vitals. He then took out a glittering syringe and took a sample of Robin's blood. Robin shut his masked eyes. Somehow, he was fine with smashing a criminals head into the pavement, but he never liked the sight of his own blood being forcibly drawn out of him.

The tests continued, testing every muscle, sense, and reaction.

"Well, according to the computer you're fine, but you need to shove a couple square meals down your throat, get some sleep, and lay off the energy drinks."

Robin managed a half-hearted smile. He stood gingerly and was headed towards the door before Cyborg asked him any more questions.

"Robin?"

Robin turned back towards Cyborg. "Yeah?"

"Get some sleep. I'll make you some dinner later, and we'll talk. Got it?"

"Yeah Cyborg, got it."

The door swooshed shut.

A/N: Ok, so it was mostly filler, but we can't always have chapters where Batman gets to yell at his ward, or scary men push Robin up against trees. I just wanted to post this soon while I had your attention. Next time has The Chat, and possibly more than that! Keep on reading and reviewing.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Ok, so even though I haven't posted in a while, it was only to bring you this! Hope you love it, and remember to keep on reading and reviewing.

Robin's room was sparse and plain. A bed, an armoire, a cluttered desk, a bookshelf full of classics that Robin had loved but now never had the time to read. As Robin looked around, all he could think of was how quickly he could have packed up all his belongings.

It shocked him to think that after all the time he had spent with the Titans, the room still looked like that of a stranger.

But Robin but the thoughts out of his head. "Cyborg says he wants me to sleep." He muttered to himself, headed towards the bed. He kicked off his heavy boots, set his utility belt carefully on the bedside table and peeled off his traffic light shirt.

Robin lay on his bed, trying to figure out the last time he had been asleep at 2:00 in the afternoon. It must have been when he caught pneumonia at 8. Alfred had taken him up to his room and fed him chicken soup. And as Robin's mind drifted, his mind slipped further and further away, until Robin's eyes closed and his breathing slowed.

Cyborg had been waiting outside Robin's room after he had heard the door close. IT would be just like Robin to disobey and get up to do work. But, he heard nothing. Nothing but Robin's slow breathing could be heard. Cyborg smiled slowly and headed off to the common room to play some video games with BB.

-?-

A man in black crept through the dark alleyways of Jump City. He stopped, suddenly alert for any noise… but there was nothing. His eyes darted from one end of the alley to the other. When he had assured himself that his eyes had spied nothing or no one, he pushed aside a city trash can to reveal a key pad. His gloved hands entered the correct code, and the door opened with a whoosh of cool air.

The hallways inside the concealed building were dimly lit, but the man knew where he was heading. His brisk steps soon led him to a large chamber where a true predator lay in wait.

"Well?" a sinister voice rang out from the darkness, causing the man in black to almost jump out of his skin. He had faced assassins and mob bosses, but he still got the creeps from the voice of that man.

"The message was delivered sir. Word for word as you said."

"And the dagger?"

"Just as you said sir."

"Good. Very good. He will come to me soon. It is only a matter of time."

The stranger bowed and swept out of the room.

"Only a matter of time…" laughed the man.

-TT-

"Slade!"

Robin's shout rang out through the room as he woke from the night mare that often preyed on his mind as he slept.

Robin turned, panting, to the alarm clock beside him. 7:00pm. Robin stretched and scratched his head. The gel had gone out of his hair as he slept, causing his dark hair to fall in his eyes. Well… into his mask. Robin hadn't removed it since he had had to replace it with Slade's version.

After he had slipped into a clean uniform, he decided to take up Cyborg's offer of a hot meal, even if it meant talking. After all, Robin had lasted this long at the tower without saying too much about himself. He could make it through one meal.

Cyborg stood in the kitchen. He had already sent Raven, Beastboy and Starfire off to a movie so he could talk to Robin by himself. He had made Robin's favorite meal, and all he had to do was wait for him to get up. Cyborg looked up as he saw Robin stumble through the door drowsily.

"Hey man."

"Hey." Said Robin yawning, stretching his long arms above his head. "Where is everyone?"

"Out at a movie. Want some dinner?" said Cyborg, pushing a plate full of home-made pizza across to where Robin had just taken a seat.

"Sure. I guess." Robin grabbed a slice of pizza munched on it hungrily.

"So. What's up?" said Cyborg carefully, taking another slice of pizza.

"Nothing. Nothing."

"Sure nothing. Robin, just tell me what's wrong. What is so hard for you to tell us?"

Robin stopped eating. His eyes narrowed slightly behind his mask. "What makes you think that I have something to tell?"

"Robin, dude, with this Slade thing… and Batman, we just don't know what to think! We're worried about you. And you know, we're all here for each other. Every time. Why don't you feel like you can trust us?"

Robin sat staring at the pizza in front of him, avoiding Cyborg's eyes.

"Dude?"

Robin stood up and left the kitchen and headed for the garage. There was some stuff he needed to think about, and on his bike, far from the tower seemed like the best place.

A/N: Ok, so for the next few chapters, we're going to be getting into some deep stuff so get excited.  Don't forget to read and review.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Ok, so two things. One, sorry that I haven't updated in a while (I was having some issues with my computer). And second, I'll be having a contest to see who can come up with a new name. I don't think Grace Kelly suits very well anymore… So, whoever comes up with the most amazing creative title gets a personal thanks from yours truly, and a lifetime supply of cookies  So have fun reading this new chapter.

Robin found himself in the position he had been in just a night or two ago, riding his bike on the highway, the wind whipping wound his gel-less hair.

_While I'm out here, _he thought, _might as well do some patrolling. Bashing a couple of bad guys usually works. _

He turned onto a deserted road in the suburbs outside of Jump City. Passing by all the identical houses, Robin wondered who lived in each one. Did the people who live there have kids? Did they have parents? Were they a family? Sure, Bruce and Alfred and the Titans were like family to him, but he still missed his real mother and father. And his older brother.

Robin turned again, and was now nearing downtown Jump. Even though it was late at night, the city was still bustling. Neon lights flashed, and lit up billboards prompted you to buy sodas and expensive Hawaiian vacations.

Robin wanted to begin his patrol, so he locked his bike in a parking lot (not that he needed to. No one stole Robin's bike and got away with it). As he emerged from the underground lot, he took out his jump cord and used it to getup onto the roof of an office building. From there he could survey the city for a few moments before moving on to the rest of his usual patrol route.

None of his friends usually went on patrol, since they had the alarm, but Robin loved the adrenaline rush, the feeling of being away from it all, and most of all the thrill of a chase. There was nothing like chasing after a bad guy and taking him down.

He stood from his crouch and turned. There before him stood the same man who had pinned him against a tree.

"Weren't trying to run away were you? I thought I made it clear. There's nowhere you can go where Slade won't find you." He said, with a hint of a grin in his voice.

"I wasn't running." Robin gritted his teeth, and tensed, readying himself for battle.

"Good. Well, Slade had some business to attend to, so if you'll just come with me, I can take you to your new home. Trust me. If you don't try and escape, it'll be easier on everyone." Said the man so naturally that Robin started for a moment. But then, his will returned, and he yelled, "Never!"

"Can't say I didn't warn you."

The man leapt for Robin. Robin went for his bow staff, but without his noticing, the man had already taken it and was twirling it absentmindedly through his fingers. He then proceeded to drop it over the side of the building. Robin lunged for the man, seeing red, but in a flash, the man had disappeared again. Robin reached for a bird-a-rang from one of the compartments of his utility belt, only to come up empty. Robin mentally slapped himself, annoyed to have forgotten that he took out most of his weapons for cleaning. This left his utility belt basically useless.

Without weapons, Robin had to resort to hand to hand fighting, and so the real fight began.

Robin aimed a vicious high kick at the man's solar plexus, but he simply grabbed Robin's foot, and flipped Robin onto his back.

"Had enough?"

"Not even close."

The fight continued as Robin sent a flurry of punches towards the man's head, but the stranger dodged them all managing to grab Robin's wrist. He twisted it viciously, and Robin felt a searing pain as the bones broke.

"You know," said the man as Robin took a second to cradle his limp wrist, "Slade gave me permission to be as 'persuasive' as I wanted to be as long as I brought you in. Does that change your mind about going peacefully?"

"Not even close." Said Robin, biting through the pain. He ducked into a quick, low kick, taking the man's legs out from under him and sending him crashing to the pavement. Robin, not one to kick a person when he was down, allowed the man to get to his feet.

The stranger's glare intensified, almost as if he had truly figured out who he was dealing with. "That's enough Robin. You will be coming, whether you want to or not, and I feel I've given you more than your fair share of warnings."

As the man finished that sentence, he flew towards Robin, and began attacking him from all angles. Before Robin could even prepare to attack from one angle, the man had already covered the next. Robin felt his ribs cracking, his nose begin to bleed, and he felt like his entire body had turned into a giant bruise.

And as the man attacked harder and faster, however desperately Robin wanted to win, he grew slower and weaker.

Soon Robin grew dizzy and began to stagger. The man steeped stepped back, and sensing his job was nearly complete, gave a quick, powerful kick to Robin's shin, breaking the hard bone, and causing Robin to fall to the ground. His face had turned into a broken mess of blood and involuntary tears.

And suddenly, his pain and blood loss overwhelmed him, and just before the world went black, he felt himself being lifted up and carried across the roof.

Then everything went black.

A/N: Sorry for the awful fight scene. It was my first time writing one, and any criticism would be appreciated (aka REVIEW). Don't forget our little contest, and keep on Reading and reviewing.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: You all must have been wondering, 'Where's Raya? Why aren't there any new chapters up?' (at least, I hope that's what you've been thinking). Well, lucky me, my school has winter exams. So, I was a little pre-occupied for the past few weeks. But, I'm back and better than ever. Expect a couple more chapters over Christmas break.

-S-

Slade stared down at the broken boy. His scout had carried in Robin hardly 15 minutes before, and yet Slade had not moved. He merely surveyed the body that lay before him. Yes, he had told the man to use any means necessary, but the mess of broken bones and blood before him could barely be distinguished as Robin. His hair, matted with blood, had fallen in his face, various limbs were twisted at unbearable angles, and his nose would never look the same.

Finally, Slade was satisfied with what he had seen. He called Wintergreen in, to take the boy to the medical wing. Slade allowed himself a small smile. '_I have seen Robin at his weakest, and now that I've seen it, it will be an easy matter to break him.' _He thought to himself. He turned back to his monitors, watching his plan unfold perfectly before hi eyes.

-TT-

"Please?"

"No."

"But, friend Cyborg! We must…"

"'We must…' what Starfire? What do we have to do?"

"We have to help him. We must make sure he's okay!"

"I agree with Starfire, dude. We should check out what's going on. It's getting late."

"For once I agree with Beast Boy."

"Robin doesn't trust us already. He's probably just on patrol. He won't appreciate us butting in."

"But friend Cyborg, he has not been well! What if Slade…"

"What if Slade? Slade's not back. Terra got rid of him."

"Cyborg's right. Terra… Terra totally got rid of Slade. She wouldn't have sacrificed herself if it didn't work."

"Beast Boy…"

"I'm fine Raven."

"Cyborg. I accept that there has to be a certain level of trust between us, but one, if Robin's hallucinating, he shouldn't be out of the tower…"

"Raven, I did the tests. He's fine."

"Then, two, if Slade's back…"

"Slade can't be back!"

"Beast Boy, it's just an 'if'. If Slade's back, the sooner we find Robin and get him back here the better. I think we should go out and look for him. If we find him and he yells at us for interrupting his patrol, at least we'll know he's okay. But if he's not okay, or Slade's back, or both, then we'll be able to help him instead of just sitting here at the tower."

"I agree with Raven, Cyborg."

"Me too, dude."

"Fine. Titans go."

-R-

Robin's eyes open slowly. Everything was hazy at first. Where was he? Was he at the tower? Vague memories of a fight began to trickle into his mind. Was he hurt? He decided to stretch a little, get a feel of his injuries. But, at his first movement, pain sliced through his body. Bright white lights above him came into focus. A man leaned over him, muttering over his shoulder. Something about 'anesthetic gas'. He felt a mask being placed over his mouth and despite the pain, struggled for a moment. The world soon began to go dark again. Robin returned to his slumber.

Robin woke again. His mind was sharper this time, and recovered more quickly. He recalled the fight, and being captured by the strange man who was going to take him to Slade. He cautiously flexed his fingers. No pain. He rotated his wrists. Nothing. Arms, shoulders, legs, feet, head, everything seemed fine. He sat up carefully, looking around. He had no shirt or shoes, and his useless utility belt had been removed, but his mask was intact. Robin slipped off the bed, and crossed the room to the door. Unlocked. He opened it slowly and when he was sure no one was in the corridor, he slipped out, turned, and immediately walked into what felt like a large rock.

"Sleep well Robin?"

"Slade."

-TT-

"Fine. Slade's back. Are you satisfied Raven?"

'No. I am not satisfied to know that Slade's back and has possibly kidnapped Robin. What is this to you? Some petty 'I'm right, you're wrong' argument? Robin could be hurt, possibly dead."

"Sorry Raven. I didn't mean it like that. I mean, it's just… We've been looking for days and come up with nothing. It's just like last time, and it's… it's so frustrating that I didn't see it sooner."

"Sometimes we see what we want to see, Cyborg. It's not your fault that Robin's…"

"Robin's what?"

"Batman…"

"Where's Robin?'

A/N: Was it worth the wait? I know I didn't do the Titan's scenes as usual, but I was trying something new. Do you like it? Review and tell me what you think! As well, tell me what you think of the new title! (I thought of it after listening to Heroes and Thieves by Vanessa Carlton). fullmetaldevil, I loved your title ideas, Thanks so much for all the time you put into them! Mega cookies for you. As well, I'd like to give a shout out to dlsky and Alexandru ( two of my fanfiction heroes) for reviewing. Thank you to all my patient readers. Stay tuned for more intrigue, drama, and angst.

Thanks - Raya


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Hey everyone. I know I haven't written in almost a year, and for that I apologize. I was going through some tough stuff in the past couple of months and my writing sort of fell by the wayside. I'm so grateful to those who have waited it out, and hopefully I'll be able to update more in the future.

"Where's Robin?" Batman asked again, his teeth gritted.

Cyborg winced, and Beast Boy was cowering behind him. Starfire looked as though she was about to cry, and so it was left to Raven to answer the difficult question. She took in a large breath, and responded calmly, "Robin has been recaptured by Slade. Last night he left while eating dinner with Cyborg. Cyborg thought it would be most prudent to let him go so he could blow off some steam, but when he hadn't returned by this morning, we decided as a team to go and search for him. We found Robin's bo-staff abandoned on the road, and after further investigation, we found the scene of the battle, on top of a nearby building. There was a lot of Robin's blood, which indicated that Robin had been injured. The most logical explanation is that Robin was ambushed on his patrol, and was unable to defeat his assailant. Because Robin didn't return to the tower, we believe that he has most likely been recaptured by Slade."

Batman listened to the explanation attentively, and after Raven was finished, asked, "How long has it been since Robin left on his patrol?"

Cyborg responded to Batman this time, "He left at about 7:30 last night, so it's been around 15 hours since he disappeared."

Batman nodded, and moved over the large computer in the Titan's living room. He drew up a map of the city, and observed it for a moment before asking another question, "Where was Robin attacked?"

"The corner of Main and 4th." replied Cyborg.

"You'll spilt into teams of two, with one teammate flying, and one on the ground. That means Cyborg and Starfire will team up and Raven and Beast Boy will do the same. Each team will be out for 12 hour shifts, while the other team rests up at the tower, or responds to unrelated crimes and minor criminals. We'll start our search from the scene of the fight at Main and 4th. Cyborg and Starfire with take the first shift, along with me. Any sign of Robin you report back to me. Understood?"

"Yes sir!" Beast Boy responded enthusiastically, only to receive a withering glance from Raven.

"Then Titans, Go."

-TT-

"Sleep well Robin?"

"Slade."



The older man stood in front of Robin a glint in his eye. Robin immediately moved into a fighting stance, ready, should Slade attack him. He knew he was at a disadvantage without any weapons, but curiously, even after the massive beating he had taken from Slade's lackey, he felt better than ever.

Slade watched as the boy took a stance, and responded, his smirk evident in his voice, "Robin, are you really planning to attack me? I would have thought you had learnt your lesson from Slange, but apparently not. Pity." At that Robin threw a punch at Slade, a punch that Slade caught easily, and while twisting it, mercilessly replied, "You're getting predictable Robin. I expect more from you."

Robin executed a quick judo designed to get Slade off balance, but once again he was deflected. Meanwhile, Slade was twisting his captured wrist even harder, seeming to take joy when Robin struggled.

Bored of Robin's pathetic escape attempts, Slade flipped Robin to the ground and held his arm securely, pushing it further and further until Robin though for sure that his arm would break.

"All you have to do to get me to let go is to say my name." Slade whispered silkily into Robin's ear. Robin knew that he couldn't take much more pain, gritted his teeth and spat out the word.

"Slade." When he didn't feel release from the pain that gripped him, he was confused. He had said Slade's name. What sort of game was Slade playing?

"Wrong answer my apprentice." Slade said gleefully, "I'll give you one more try."

The realization struck Robin like a bolt of lightning. He knew what Slade wanted him to say, but he could never… he wouldn't!

"One word Robin, that's all it takes." Slade said, pushing harder on the boy's arm for good measure.

Robin's head was spinning from pain, and he knew what he had to do. His head dropped with shame, and he whispered one word.

"Master."

A/N: I thought that would be a good place to end it. I hope you all liked it. I also hade some fun picking out Slade's lackey's name. Slange means snake in Dutch. Also, if you're wondering how Robin was miraculously cured in less than 15 hours, you'll soon see. Those who have read A Matter of Honour by Jeffrey Archer might see a little sooner. Thank you all so much, and I'm glad to be back.


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